Sunday, October 30, 2011

10/30/2011
This year, the government’s
budgeted P21.4 billion for the conditional cash transfer (CCT) program
on which Noynoy is underpinning his effort to eradicate poverty in the
country, has proved that the doleouts haven’t created a dent at all.

So
much hype has been attached to the program to have Congress’ approval
for it and lately it seems that even the World Bank president, Robert
Zoellick, was hijacked in his visit to the country to act as a prop for
the program. But notice, from photos, at the clothes the children were
wearing — all clean and new, as if Dinky and her staff made sure
Zoellick won’t see them in their usual rags, perhaps to make that
Pushkin impression that indeed, the poor are now well-clothed and
well-fed.

The doubled effort for the CCT, or known since the
previous administration as the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program
(4Ps), was imperative since the program is being collaterally doubled to
more than P40 billion in the 2012 budget and the congressional approval
for it is still the subject of deliberations..... MORE

10/30/2011
Noynoy and his aides —
especially the former Arroyo Palace aides now with him, seem to think
that they can blame all their frigging mistakes on the previous
administration, but they should realize that the Filipinos — save for
those Yellows and their propagandists in the media who claim to be
journalists and columnists — are sick and tired of the Noynoy blame
game, well over a year and four months into his presidency.

Noynoy
continues to coddle the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), even
funding a claimed foundation of the Moro rebels that will ostensibly
train Moro leaders. The “gift” of P5 million is peanuts, and it is
almost certain that it was not just P5 million that the government has
been giving the Moro rebels. It is just the amount that is now public
knowledge.

Recall that at the secret meeting, funding for the Moro rebels was
certainly discussed, since Noynoy was accompanied by his Budget
secretary, as well as his Defense chief, not to mention his Finance
secretary. Obviously, there would be more “gifts” for the Moro rebels
forthcoming — which will naturally be kept secret..... MORE

10/30/2011
After some eight long months
of acrimonious wrangling brought about by oppositors, the National
Telecommunications Commission (NTC) approved with flying colors the
P75-billion coupling of two of the country’s biggest telecommunications
outfits — Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) and Digital
Telecommunications Philippines (Digitel) which owns the popular Sun
Cellular brand.

In giving the go-signal to PLDT’s acquisition
of the Gokongwei-controlled Digitel firm, the NTC wrote finis, albeit
temporarily, to the frenzied efforts of rival Globe Telecoms, the
Philippines’ second-ranked telecommunications company which has a grip
on an estimated 30 percent of the market, to derail the merger citing
monopoly concerns that are not beneficial to the interests of some 30
million cellphone users. PLDT at present also owns Smart
Telecommunications which is the acknowledged leader in the cellular
telephone segment of the industry..... MORE

The death of Colonel Gaddafi made many
assume that NATO was going to finish its operation in Libya. Sources
from the alliance said that it could happen during the next couple of
days indeed. However, it is too early to say that the Libyan operation
is over. Ali Tarhouni, an official spokesman for the National
Transitional Council asked the NATO administration to prolong its
mission in Libya for at least one month.

Why does the Council need NATO to stay?
It seems that the city of Sirte has been taken. News agencies report
that practically all buildings in the city have been destroyed. Rebels
continue to find and destroy Gaddafi followers and they do not need
NATO's help.

Saifa Gaddafi said that he would
continue the struggle and revenge for the death of his father. It is too
early to draw the line in this story. It is not ruled out that the
Libyans will rebel again once they have come to realize the advantages
of "Arab democracy.".... MORE

10/30/2011
An expression of disgust. A
statement of exasperation. A message of warning. All these are combined
messages and implications of the notice served that “enough is enough!”

What
makes this declaration more loaded and significant is that it was made
by no less than the chief of Supreme Court (SC), that is openly and
clearly said in public, and that it received a big and long applause
from his audience.

His perceived sin is having been appointed
Chief Justice by the past administration. He was then subsequently
ostracized from high level official events. His other attributed sin is
having denied the constitutionality of the so-called “Truth Commission.”
He was then a marked man as far as the present administration is
concerned..... MORE

10/30/2011
The Constitution of the
Philippines provides in Section 7 thereof, that it is the obligation of
the State to give paramount consideration to national sovereignty,
territorial integrity, national interest, and the right of
self-determination. Hence the leader of the nation or the State for that
matter is expected to protect and defend any attempt by its citizen/s
or foreigners to trample with this sacred conditions embodied in our
very Constitution. That is why we see in our statute books that the
State is concerned with crimes committed in breach of this
constitutional mandate and provides for severe penalties thereof.

One
of the crimes committed against National Security is Treason that is
defined under Article 114 of the Revised Penal Code. It states that,
“Any Filipino citizen who levies war against the Philippines or adheres
to her enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the Philippines and
elsewhere, commits the crime of treason and is penalized by reclusion
perpetua and shall pay a fine not to exceed P100,000..... MORE

The
government citing records from the Bureau of Immigration (BI) indicated
yesterday that the fugitive couple, former military comptroller Jacinto
Ligot and his wife Erlinda who astounded the whole nation with their
horde of wealth amassed likely from diversion of military funds, are
still in the country and that authorities are already tracking both
after the Court of Tax Appeals ordered their arrest over a tax evasion
case the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) filed against them.

Justice
Secretary Leila de Lima said the indicted pair are still in the country
and in text messages to newsmen she added that “as per (the) BI
database, the spouses Jacinto and Erlinda Ligot are in the country.”
“The NBI has been tasked to locate them and effect their arrest.” she said.

The Ligots are now said to be “missing” as the warrants could not be served to the couple..... MORE

The
Palace needed to come clean on the P5 million in supposed donation to
the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) President Aquino has said
belatedly was financing for the MILF’s Bangsamoro Leadership and
Management Institute (BLMI) that supposedly conducts leadership and
management training of the rebels group, House Minority Leader Albay
Rep. Edcel Lagman said yesterday.

Despite Aquino’s claim on the
donation, he, nevertheless, admitted being clueless the other day about
the foundation and its officials.

In a statement, Lagman said
there is a compelling reason for Malacañang to clarify once and for all
the “gray areas” in the P5-million donation Aquino made to the MILF
“lest he be accused of treason.”

“There is need for Malacañang to
clarify and explain the gray and nebulous areas shrouding the P5 million
financial assistance to the MILF which the President approved and
ordered remitted to the MILF,” Lagman said..... MORE

10/30/2011
Amid the announcement of
Saudi Arabia labor ministry that it is going to implement a ceiling on
remittances by expatriate workers including overseas Filipino workers
(OFWs) “to protect its economy,” a Filipino migrants rights group
yesterday urged the Philippine government to seek clarification on the
host government about “salary protection” policy.

Citing local
reports, Migrante-Middle East (M-ME) regional coordinator John Leonard
Monterona said Saudi labor ministry disclosed last week its plan to
implement what it called ‘salary protection’ program under which
expatriate workers could only sent a prescribe amount of their salaries
to be sent home.

A high-ranking Saudi Labor official was quoted by
local newspapers saying, “About nine to 10 workers in the country are
foreigners. This has led to millions of riyals being transferred back to
their home countries, harming the local economy.”.... MORE

10/30/2011
A Catholic bishop and an
environmental watchdog have jointly appealed to the public not to trash
the cemeteries as millions are expected to remember their dearly
departed loved ones on Nov. 1 and 2.

In a combined appeal,
Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iiguez and the EcoWaste Coalition called for a
simple and waste-free commemoration of Undas in the light of the
countrys unrelenting problem with garbage.

I exhort everyone to
keep our cemeteries safe and clean, said Bishop Iiguez who also heads
the Public Affairs Committee of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the
Philippines (CBCP).

Please dont leave any trash behind. With
public cooperation, we can turn the tide on trash and make Undas a
pleasant occasion for all, especially for Mother Nature, he said..... MORE

10/30/2011
Despite the assurance of the
Department of Education (DepEd) that there are enough “safeguards” in
schools to prevent asbestos, the Associated Labor Unions’ (ALU) Ban
Asbestos Philippines has maintained that the use of all wire gauzes that
contain cancerous asbestos be banned from all classrooms and
laboratories.

“We called for recall and ban of asbestos containing
wire gauze. I hope they (DepEd) can do beyond ensuring us (that) they
exercise safety. The best DepEd can do now is take wire gauzes away from
laboratories, chemistry and biology class nationwide,” Alan Tanjusay,
ALU Policy Advocacy and Campaign Officer, said..... MORE

10/30/2011
The city government of Makati
has lifted its number coding scheme on Oct. 31, Monday, until Nov. 2,
Wednesday, to give way to the observance of All Saints’ Day and All
Souls’ Day.

According to Hermenegildo San Miguel, chief of the
Makati Public Safety Department, the city government will implement the
three-day suspension of its Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program
for the convenience of residents and visitors who will be visiting their
departed loved ones in the cemeteries located in the city...... MORE